losgrad

At 4 pm Xmas day at Hooters Pattaya, i was served their special meal. My serving looks a little better than what others were served. Two hostesses took turns taking care of me informing me at the beginning they were out of the other dessert options but i could have a brownie with my ice cream. The turkey was moist enough without gravy, but i added ketchup :) and the sprouts were good. However, i also didnt care for the stuffing, peas and warm cranberries. The dessert of brownie and ice cream was also very good. After having an exceptional meal on Xmas Eve at Kinnaree, i didnt have a big appetite so this was fine for me as i wasnt in the mood for another buffet.

Ditto to the OP and "ThingsPattaya" for the videos. Great share... I walk a lot, sometimes between Jomtien and Pattaya, but have never done that route, especially since it requires tidal planning as in retirement i mostly walk until tired, get massages/showers, eat when hungry, sleep when sleepy, xxx when horny, etc... :) Thanks again for the excellent TR.

The beer bars also have cover. Even with an umbrella it's not comfortable sitting outside in the rain trying to enjoy the music and a drink.... In Pattaya, six months a year, there are 15 or more days of rain per month. Probably also contributes to "The Avenue" mall lack of success. https://us.worldweatheronline.com/pattaya-weather-averages/chon-buri/th.aspx We are a beach town, but the water can be comfortably viewed from within Starbucks or one of the beachside beer bars.

"Central" is the corporation, not a descriptive name. There are 29 Central Malls in Thailand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Group This renovated "Marina" location was completed rather quickly probably to beat the opening of the new Terminal 21 Mall. I also miss the little outdoor beer garden with the band, but most of the time it was empty so business-wise i can't blame them.... Pattaya is becoming a mini-bangkok of malls with a waterfront. Progress....

Excellent!!! Great portraits of the female models and the classic cars. Thanks again for sharing.

When 'charging' keep away from flammables....

MM - Thanks for sharing your hospital adventures. I know one day i'll be there too.... Sometimes, i have a pain in the middle of my back, but just below the right shoulder blade. Since i have no history of heart, chest or other major problems i'll visit the Physical Therapist in North Pattaya (Happy Body Physical Therapy; no "not happy endings" ph#:038371334). Often it's caused by my improper exercise form at the gym. Take care of yourselves.

Evil, Thanks for the pictures and review of my favorite Pattaya restaurant - the Oishi Buffet. During my time in Pattaya, we dine weekly for the unlimited quantity of salmon and other sashimi, the limited sushi options, but more importantly the diversity of other foods not available in other Japanese style restaurants. At Oishi Restaurant in addition to the section of Japanese foods, there are also sections of Chinese Dim Sum, Korean BBQ foods and other cook to order Asian foods. Yes, the desserts are 'western,' but very tasty even for the Asians tastes - banoffee, cakes, ice cream, jello and raspberry pana cotta (not all available every day). Drinks include hot coffee, hot tea and soft drinks. Yes, Oishi Restaurant is a little more expensive than other local buffets. We have also noticed most diners appear to be Thai 'white collar' salaried workers and therefore the restaurant is especially busy at the beginning of each month. Yes, few foreigners patronize this restaurant and most of my local farang friends don't revisit, but we are not deterred :). We seem to enjoy a 'fusion' of foods and the combination available at Oishi fit us well.

I usually don't schedule my eating to specials, but apparently on Wednesday's the dinner menu is significantly discounted as there was an unexpected queue for seating. The normal 399 baht combo meals were 289 baht. However, by 9 pm most patrons had finished and many tables were open. Enjoy your veggies.... P.S. This new location on the beach side of the 1st Floor has attracted many more customers than their prior location on the back of the 3rd Floor.

Occasionally, I have pizza delivered from New York Pizza so i think they have my order with specific nuances linked to our phone#. I like the Hawaiian with thin crust and extra sauce, but the Hawaiian Pizza at The Camel in Ban Chang was definitely better. Yes, it also takes me two attempts to finish the small. I guess getting older has also affected our appetites :). Well, in regards to the 'smartphone,' there are a couple of you guys in that 'cheap charlie group' that don't have smartphones even when offered one for FREE, so it appears to be a lifestyle choice :). Yes, I agree. My friends who love it go for the unlimited cheap protein (weightlifters) and i occasionally join them just for the social, but sometimes i don't eat. It's 'good' for them, but not for us.

Ok, I'll play along....so another criteria: Western Food Good AND a "Full-Filling Meal" :). I just happen to be in the new Harbor Mall on Klang (taking a break from Songkran water play :) and saw they also have an "All Seasons Steak Buffet." A few times, I've eaten at the one at The Avenue (closed a few months ago) and Central Festival Mall, but have a few friends who visit weekly as they want the protein. For me, it meets 3 of the 4 criterion and the "Good" is subjective, but Good is not "Great" so i guess it qualifies :). https://www.facebook.com/allseasonssteakbuffet/?fref=nf

Mind, Body & Spirit....back to basics - Go to the gym, Eat healthy and Think positive. Seek out your friends and/or professional help for support.... P.S. If there's any place to be single, this place is IT!!

First, i am sorry to hear of your marriage coming to an end. It's a 50/50 chance anywhere in the world and then sometimes it's only a matter of when. Does 5 years or 25 years count as a success or failure? To me, it is not just about time, but depends on our initial marriage contract and expectations which is not the same for any of us. Ok, in regards to your divorce, if she is willing, then have her sign a 'promissory note' for the amount she 'owes' you and to be included within the Divorce Agreement (depending on your pre-nuptial agreement). And yes, IMHO you're getting off easy at 100k baht per year after a 5 year relationship :). I would use one or two of the three law firms (2nd opinions in semi-complicated legal or medical issues) we used to write up and witness our pre-nuptial agreement. One of them was Siam Legal International in Bangkok. They have a team of lawyers who consult on issues and their fees are reasonable. When interviewing local lawyers, we ran into some that i would not trust or pay their exorbitant fees or some that had undisclosed fees (they would quote 'normal'). I see that Siam Legal now has an office in Pattaya, but we used their main office in Bangkok. Bangkok: http://www.siam-legal.com/thai-law/bangkok-lawyer.php Pattaya: http://www.siam-legal.com/thai-law/pattaya-lawyer.php Divorce process in Thailand via Siam Legal website: http://www.siam-legal.com/legal_services/thailand-divorce.php Good luck and enjoy finding your next relationship :).

I don't know if it meets the definition of this thread, but "Sizzler's" has both regular and specials under 300 baht which includes unlimited visits to the soup and salad bar. I like (or need) to eat there regularly to get my veggies :). Within Pattaya at Royal Garden and Central Festival Malls. http://www.sizzler.co.th/en/index.php

Last Saturday, i walked in alone at 8:33 pm and there were two 2 seat tables and one 4 seat table open, but a Thai couple sitting at a 4 seat table invited me to sit at their table. I declined and sat at my own table. I must have hit it just right. I was the only non-Thai in the restaurant. The 4 seat table was being cleaned. I ordered some of my favorites: hot green tea, miso soup, shrimp and vegetable tempura, salmon sashimi x 2, tuna sashimi and saba shioyaki. The server recommended the nigiri sashimi set, but I was full. The sashimi was very fresh, almost too much so, but in this climate and environment probably for the best. The tempura was good and the saba was a good size piece of fish. After my initial orders, my secondary requests arrived within 10 minutes. There was no unagi which can be expensive so that was understandable in a buffet setting. Next time i'll come with a larger appetite so i can try the sushi items (i don't like to fill up on white rice). For big eaters who enjoy Japanese foods, it's definitely a strong recommendation, so a couple of my bigger USA expat friends will visit after Songkran. P.S. I also tried a couple of the restaurants at the new Harbor Mall such as Shabushi (same as the other two in town except for the 'maze-like' setup) and "Tuna Ichiban" Japanese Restaurant but i'll wait for EP to do a full pictorial report to add :). Tuna Ichiban had a queue every afternoon since it opened, but the food is "excellent" just like my mother use to make. It can be expensive for bigger appetites even with their menu being discounted (at least according to the "XX" on every menu item). Nigiri Unagi was 60 baht each (discounted from 120 baht) and i could easily eat a dozen if that's all i was eating :). Enjoy the expanding options of our growing city.

Premium Economy seating has a little more leg room and width. For taller and larger people, it's probably a better 'fit' otherwise the economy seats can be compact. Price differential can be up to 50% more or just a bit more depending on travel dates. Last fall when one of my long-time H.S. friends visited for the first time, i strongly recommended he book "Premium Economy" as he is 6'2" and has bad knees and other joints, but is height weight proportionate. He thought the seating was fine, but questioned whether it was worth $400 more for his RT fare. If he was in economy, i truly believe he would have suffered especially if all seats were full.

I am a Gold Member on "China Airlines" out of Taiwan. They have a decent VIP lounge in Bangkok, Tokyo, San Francisco and a super one in Taiwan, but horrible out of Honolulu. Since the lounges are all you can eat and drink, i often pass on the meals on the plane. Seating is Economy, new Premium Economy and Business. Flight attendants are attractive and polite. Easy to check the website for less expensive travel days. https://www.china-airlines.com/us/en/

Gabor, Good review and pictures. I may give it a try. I did a Google search and found: http://laongs.com/about.html From the pictures and prices on the web, it looks like a 'fine dining' place. I assume G had the 'set menu.' For larger appetites, they have 2 course meal at 595 baht and 3 courses at 695. Converted from USD, it's pretty minimal for 'fine dining.' It's on my list.

Thanks. I was going to ask if EP had tried using his Thai Driver's License. Yes, thanks again for the report and excellent photography!! In regards to the Spa and Massage place across the soi, i went into the lobby and it was full of Indians and/or Middle-easterners, mostly men. There was a hotel-like front desk, but no 'fishbowl' visible from the main lobby so i am assuming it's a real massage and spa place :), but i didn't investigate further. P.S. Your two companions look like they enjoyed themselves and are fun. Enjoy.

Yes, these days one hour at a buffet is plenty for me to gorge myself, but i will likely aim for the 5 pm opening time. At 11 pm, i want to be on WS, Soi 6 or getting a 'good' massage :). Good food and entertainment in the same night. This is a great retirement! :).

EP, Thanks for the excellent write up. I walk by the place regularly, but have never entered as there seems to be a few more new Japanese restaurants in town. I will now try this place. I love salmon sashimi which is what i get every week when we eat at Oishi Buffet at The Avenue mall. At Oishi Restaurant (540 baht), there are also almost all Thai customers unlike the Shabushi Restaurants (3xx baht) which attract many of my big eating farang friends :). Tsunami seems to be priced exactly between Oishi and Shabushi. Thanks also for the note to either call ahead or visit early in the evening.

At the Hooters in Honolulu, there's also no AC as it's an "Open Air" restaurant, but it's on the Aloha Tower pier and Hawaii has 'trade winds.' I also compared menu prices between them and the food prices are almost exactly the same, but not sure about the drinks.

Fantastic pictures!! Thank You!

Spending money on a "real" silk Hawaiian shirt would keep you cooler :). [but over $100] Yes, even some of us expats spend 'our money' similarly. Some of us are in our last stage in life and we can't take it with us....

RhinoTusk - Thanks for taking such excellent pictures and sharing. I like this one! Take Care.